PPA December Update

by Rich MunyTwo
Plus Two Magazine, Vol. 14, No. 1

I have great news to share with you. A few weeks ago, the Michigan House Regulatory Reform Committee voted 12-3 in favor of H. 4926, which would license internet poker and other forms of iGaming in that state. Rep. Brandt Iden, chairman of the Regulatory Reform Committee, is the bill’s sponsor.

As you may recall, this committee held key hearings on this legislation in September, and PPA Executive Director John Pappas was invited to testify on behalf of the poker community. If you have not yet watched it, please be sure to check out this video of John’s terrific testimony at the hearing.

John did a great job defending our right to play, completely dismantling the opposition who testified on behalf of Sheldon Adelson’s front group, the so-called Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling -- “so-called” because, when asked at the hearing, even their witness could not name a single member of this “coalition”. I also encourage you to watch the hearing in its entirety on our special Michigan Hearing YouTube page.

H. 4926 still faces many hurdles. This committee vote should help greatly in the process of bringing together many of the stakeholders, but there remains work to be done. Please be sure to do your part to help make online poker a reality in the Wolverine State.

Poker Opponents at it Again

With all the terrific news for online poker, including Pennsylvania’s enacting of legislation to license poker websites and the agreement between New Jersey, Nevada and Delaware to combine player pools, opponents of online poker are surely feeling the pressure. So, it came as little surprise when two ardent opponents, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) and Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), wrote a letter asking the Justice Department to shut down state-licensed poker websites.

In response, PPA Executive Director John Pappas issued the following statement:

“If they were handing out awards for congressional letters this one would win ‘Most Misleading’ in a landslide. Aside from the statement that Pennsylvania authorized online gaming and other states are considering it, there is nary a fact contained within the letter’s five paragraphs. Congress has given express authority to states to regulate iGaming, a detail that Senators Graham and Feinstein repeatedly ignore. Moreover, they continue to misrepresent an almost decade old FBI letter that does not address the realities of regulated online gaming. I suppose it’s easier to conflate reality with their own bias to continue making the same points, than actually own up to the fact that regulated iGaming is responsible public policy.”

The Graham-Feinstein letter shows that our opponents have not given up. It is up to us to stay organized and to keep up the fight for our game. Again, we have to win every battle, while Sheldon Adelson has to win just one.

New York Update

Back in June, the New York Senate passed legislation to license online poker in the Empire State by the overwhelming margin of 54-8. Unfortunately, the Assembly did not vote on the measure during the 2017 legislative calendar.

The good news is that, starting this month, the state of New York will be in play again. And, with the tremendous victory for poker in Pennsylvania, we expect to kick off 2018 with a great deal of momentum.

That being said, there remains much to do to convince the Assembly that authorizing poker websites will be good for consumers. Please be sure to participate in the Poker Daily Action Plan to ensure these lawmakers hear from all of us. And, if you reside in the Empire State, be sure your lawmakers hear from you on this important issue.

Take Action

Let’s make and like pro-poker tweets in reply to key lawmakers via the Poker Daily Action Plan, asking them to stand up for the right of their states to license and regulate online poker. It takes just a few minutes a day.

Webcast: Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny

On a recent webcast, New York poker activist Rick Christensen and I discussed the push for poker in the Empire State. Please be sure to check it out.

On another recent webcast, poker activist Stephen Brogan and I discussed the push for poker and the anti-poker Graham-Feinstein letter to Deputy Attorney General Rob Rosenstein. Please be sure to check it out.

Poker Advocacy with Rich Muny airs live Tuesdays at 8 pm ET/5 pm PT on OnTilt Radio. Each show features great guests and the best discussion on poker legislation. Please be sure to tune in every Tuesday evening at www.ontiltradio.com.

Help Fund the Fight

The victory in Pennsylvania was terrific, but the fight is far from over. To stay vigilant in D.C. while pressing the states for poker legislation, we need your support. Will you help ensure sure we have the resources to succeed by contributing today?

Thanks to the terrific generosity of Two Plus Two Publishing, PPA is able to provide donors with a downloadable PPA edition of the acclaimed book, Fundamentals of Poker, authored by Mason Malmuth and Lynne Loomis. For your copy, simply email PPA at email@theppa.org.

Whether you are a novice poker player looking to learn a new poker game or a seasoned veteran looking to brush up on your fundamentals, this book is a terrific resource for any poker player. I hope you enjoy this e-book, either for yourself or as a superb primer for a friend or loved one new to the game.